Throughout the winter, my accelerator pedal seemed like it was freezing up
or something, but once you would stomp it down, it worked normally.
However, about a month ago I did this, and then when driving I noticed
that the transmission wasn't shifting into 2nd gear as usual. I revved it
up a bit, it shifted, and after that it worked fine.

The next time I drove it, it still was shifting late, but now it didn't
clear up. I have to get going 40 mph to get it to shift into 2nd gear, and
it will shift into 3rd at about 70 mph. It shifts pretty solidly, just not
at the right speeds.

I just did a complete 10 qt fluid push through the system using the return
line method like recommended at IPD Volvo, and unfortunately it didn't
help, although the old fluid looked pretty bad.

Tomorrow I intend to drop the transmission pan and change the filter
screen, but at this point I'm not very hopeful that it will correct the
condition.

Is there a chance that the throttle cable to the transmission was sticking
and subsequently broke (the sticking accelerator pedal)? If so could the
transmission throttle cable cause this late shifting behavior if it were
broken? Also, is there any kind of computer module which could be the
problem.

Just trying to hit all the cheap fixes before I go all in for a new
transmission. Any learned advice would be welcome.

"Douglas" <unlock.b.d.hilton@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.03.17.00.13.13.737221@verizon.net...
> Throughout the winter, my accelerator pedal seemed like it was freezing up
> or something, but once you would stomp it down, it worked normally.
> However, about a month ago I did this, and then when driving I noticed
> that the transmission wasn't shifting into 2nd gear as usual. I revved it
> up a bit, it shifted, and after that it worked fine.
>
> The next time I drove it, it still was shifting late, but now it didn't
> clear up. I have to get going 40 mph to get it to shift into 2nd gear, and
> it will shift into 3rd at about 70 mph. It shifts pretty solidly, just not
> at the right speeds.
>
> I just did a complete 10 qt fluid push through the system using the return
> line method like recommended at IPD Volvo, and unfortunately it didn't
> help, although the old fluid looked pretty bad.
>
> Tomorrow I intend to drop the transmission pan and change the filter
> screen, but at this point I'm not very hopeful that it will correct the
> condition.
>
> Is there a chance that the throttle cable to the transmission was sticking
> and subsequently broke (the sticking accelerator pedal)? If so could the
> transmission throttle cable cause this late shifting behavior if it were
> broken? Also, is there any kind of computer module which could be the
> problem.
>
> Just trying to hit all the cheap fixes before I go all in for a new
> transmission. Any learned advice would be welcome.

No computer, just the cable. A common problem is for the control cable to
stick so it behaves as though the throttle is depressed more than it is.
Operate the throttle with your hand - the engine doesn't have to be
running - and watch the cable (the one that gets pulled tighter as the
throttle is opened) to see if it tries to go slack as you slowly release the
throttle. Lubrication with graphite is usually the fix. Please don't use
WD-40 if you value your sanity.

"Douglas" <unlock.b.d.hilton@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.03.17.00.13.13.737221@verizon.net...
> Throughout the winter, my accelerator pedal seemed like it was freezing up
> or something, but once you would stomp it down, it worked normally.
> However, about a month ago I did this, and then when driving I noticed
> that the transmission wasn't shifting into 2nd gear as usual. I revved it
> up a bit, it shifted, and after that it worked fine.

Your symptoms of a frozen accelorator cable are exactly those of a stiff or
seized kickdown cable which will be making the autobox behave as it is
doing..

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 20:47:23 -0700, Michael Pardee wrote:
> No computer, just the cable. A common problem is for the control cable to
> stick so it behaves as though the throttle is depressed more than it is.
> Operate the throttle with your hand - the engine doesn't have to be
> running - and watch the cable (the one that gets pulled tighter as the
> throttle is opened) to see if it tries to go slack as you slowly release the
> throttle. Lubrication with graphite is usually the fix. Please don't use
> WD-40 if you value your sanity.

On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 09:14:54 +0000, Tim.. (Remove Safetycatch) wrote:
> Your symptoms of a frozen accelorator cable are exactly those of a stiff or
> seized kickdown cable which will be making the autobox behave as it is
> doing..

Thanks guys, that was some good advice if I ever heard some. I'm drinking
my coffee now and getting ready to go out and crawl under the thing to
change the filter screen today, so I will be sure and take a look at that
cable. Sounds to me like thats what is going on.

The kickdown cable was definitely the culprit. I popped the hood and one
glance at the throttle spool told me something was up. The cable was slack
and was looped around one of the tabs on the spool. I fiddled around with
it and worked it back and forth for a bit and it freed it up.

When I went for a test drive it was shifting perfectly, and probably
better than before owing to that complete fluid flush yesterday. I'm not
going to change the transmission filter today since I dislike crawling
around in the snow and spring is on its way soon. I figure I will order a
new cable and replace it when I drop the transmission pan to change the
screen.

Thanks a ton for the timely advice. Once I knew what to look for that was
an easy fix and I doubt the transmission shop would have caught it. That
probably saved me $1500 for a completely needless transmission replacement.

"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote in message
news:UeKdnSo9ROtTYKXfRVn-vQ@sedona.net...
> "Douglas" <unlock.b.d.hilton@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:pan.2005.03.17.00.13.13.737221@verizon.net...
> > Throughout the winter, my accelerator pedal seemed like it was freezing
up
> > or something, but once you would stomp it down, it worked normally.
> > However, about a month ago I did this, and then when driving I noticed
> > that the transmission wasn't shifting into 2nd gear as usual. I revved
it
> > up a bit, it shifted, and after that it worked fine.
> >
> > The next time I drove it, it still was shifting late, but now it didn't
> > clear up. I have to get going 40 mph to get it to shift into 2nd gear,
and
> > it will shift into 3rd at about 70 mph. It shifts pretty solidly, just
not
> > at the right speeds.
> >
> > I just did a complete 10 qt fluid push through the system using the
return
> > line method like recommended at IPD Volvo, and unfortunately it didn't
> > help, although the old fluid looked pretty bad.
> >
> > Tomorrow I intend to drop the transmission pan and change the filter
> > screen, but at this point I'm not very hopeful that it will correct the
> > condition.
> >
> > Is there a chance that the throttle cable to the transmission was
sticking
> > and subsequently broke (the sticking accelerator pedal)? If so could the
> > transmission throttle cable cause this late shifting behavior if it were
> > broken? Also, is there any kind of computer module which could be the
> > problem.
> >
> > Just trying to hit all the cheap fixes before I go all in for a new
> > transmission. Any learned advice would be welcome.
>
> No computer, just the cable. A common problem is for the control cable to
> stick so it behaves as though the throttle is depressed more than it is.
> Operate the throttle with your hand - the engine doesn't have to be
> running - and watch the cable (the one that gets pulled tighter as the
> throttle is opened) to see if it tries to go slack as you slowly release
the
> throttle. Lubrication with graphite is usually the fix. Please don't use
> WD-40 if you value your sanity.
>
O.oh what does WD40 do? not that I'm about to admit I did it.

> >
> > No computer, just the cable. A common problem is for the control cable
to
> > stick so it behaves as though the throttle is depressed more than it is.
> > Operate the throttle with your hand - the engine doesn't have to be
> > running - and watch the cable (the one that gets pulled tighter as the
> > throttle is opened) to see if it tries to go slack as you slowly release
> the
> > throttle. Lubrication with graphite is usually the fix. Please don't use
> > WD-40 if you value your sanity.
> >
> O.oh what does WD40 do? not that I'm about to admit I did it.
>
>

Just doesn't work very well mostly, washes out any existing lube then mostly
evaporates itself, it's just too thin to provide much long term lubrication.

"James Sweet" <jamessweet@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bUt%d.11109$GI6.381@trnddc05...
>
> > >
> > > No computer, just the cable. A common problem is for the control cable
> to
> > > stick so it behaves as though the throttle is depressed more than it
is.
> > > Operate the throttle with your hand - the engine doesn't have to be
> > > running - and watch the cable (the one that gets pulled tighter as the
> > > throttle is opened) to see if it tries to go slack as you slowly
release
> > the
> > > throttle. Lubrication with graphite is usually the fix. Please don't
use
> > > WD-40 if you value your sanity.
> > >
> > O.oh what does WD40 do? not that I'm about to admit I did it.
> >
> >
> Just doesn't work very well mostly, washes out any existing lube then
mostly
> evaporates itself, it's just too thin to provide much long term
lubrication.
>
Well yeah, but often parts have aleady had grease or oil caked with dirt or
some rust and "washing" could be a good thing just to get it moving. Just
sounded like it eats seals or dilutes trans. fluid or something bad. For
mine some parts, like kickdown cables, don't want much lubrication at all...
mostly need to be clean.

"jg" <jg@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:8Ns%d.5528$C7.2049@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>
> "Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote in message
> news:UeKdnSo9ROtTYKXfRVn-vQ@sedona.net...
>> "Douglas" <unlock.b.d.hilton@verizon.net> wrote in message
>> news:pan.2005.03.17.00.13.13.737221@verizon.net...
>> > Throughout the winter, my accelerator pedal seemed like it was freezing
> up
>> > or something, but once you would stomp it down, it worked normally.
>> > However, about a month ago I did this, and then when driving I noticed
>> > that the transmission wasn't shifting into 2nd gear as usual. I revved
> it
>> > up a bit, it shifted, and after that it worked fine.
>> >
>> > The next time I drove it, it still was shifting late, but now it didn't
>> > clear up. I have to get going 40 mph to get it to shift into 2nd gear,
> and
>> > it will shift into 3rd at about 70 mph. It shifts pretty solidly, just
> not
>> > at the right speeds.
>> >
>> > I just did a complete 10 qt fluid push through the system using the
> return
>> > line method like recommended at IPD Volvo, and unfortunately it didn't
>> > help, although the old fluid looked pretty bad.
>> >
>> > Tomorrow I intend to drop the transmission pan and change the filter
>> > screen, but at this point I'm not very hopeful that it will correct the
>> > condition.
>> >
>> > Is there a chance that the throttle cable to the transmission was
> sticking
>> > and subsequently broke (the sticking accelerator pedal)? If so could
>> > the
>> > transmission throttle cable cause this late shifting behavior if it
>> > were
>> > broken? Also, is there any kind of computer module which could be the
>> > problem.
>> >
>> > Just trying to hit all the cheap fixes before I go all in for a new
>> > transmission. Any learned advice would be welcome.
>>
>> No computer, just the cable. A common problem is for the control cable to
>> stick so it behaves as though the throttle is depressed more than it is.
>> Operate the throttle with your hand - the engine doesn't have to be
>> running - and watch the cable (the one that gets pulled tighter as the
>> throttle is opened) to see if it tries to go slack as you slowly release
> the
>> throttle. Lubrication with graphite is usually the fix. Please don't use
>> WD-40 if you value your sanity.
>>
> O.oh what does WD40 do? not that I'm about to admit I did it.
>
>
WD-40 is pretty decent for the first year, but as oxygen works on it it
turns to a gum much like you see if you fail to wash a corn popper for a few
days (not that I'm about to admit I did that!)

Locks are the worst victims of WD-40. I've tried to clean out padlocks that
were WD-40'd but nothing seems to work. Using graphite then, especially my
favorite Lock Ease which is graphite in kerosene, only makes it gummier. At
that point the only thing that seems to work is more WD-40... kind of like
heroin for locks. Before it reaches the gummy stage I think any decent
cleaner, like brake cleaner, is okay for removing it. (Soft Scrub works on
corn poppers.)

"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote in message
news:jqCdnWp8ULpSWaPfRVn-2A@sedona.net...
> "jg" <jg@nospam.com> wrote in message
..................
> >> throttle. Lubrication with graphite is usually the fix. Please don't
use
> >> WD-40 if you value your sanity.
> >>
> > O.oh what does WD40 do? not that I'm about to admit I did it.
> >
> >
> WD-40 is pretty decent for the first year, but as oxygen works on it it
> turns to a gum much like you see if you fail to wash a corn popper for a
few
> days (not that I'm about to admit I did that!)
>
> Locks are the worst victims of WD-40. I've tried to clean out padlocks
that
> were WD-40'd but nothing seems to work. Using graphite then, especially my
> favorite Lock Ease which is graphite in kerosene, only makes it gummier.
At
> that point the only thing that seems to work is more WD-40... kind of like
> heroin for locks. Before it reaches the gummy stage I think any decent
> cleaner, like brake cleaner, is okay for removing it. (Soft Scrub works on
> corn poppers.)
>
Never known that to happen, maybe I just haven't noticed. You have to go
looking for graphite here (in Australia) it's nowhere near as ubiquitous as
WD40 & friends. Wonder if it has to do with lower temperatures or salt or
some other environmental?

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